Interview with Author – Madeline Cross

About Madeline Cross:
I am a natural born writer. I’ve always had a huge imagination but no way to harvest it. I’ve recently decided to take the plunge and make my dreams come true by becoming a published author! I love interracial romance, especially BWWM books and these are my favorite to read or write. I write because I love it and I enjoy helping people escape from the issues of their daily lives.

What inspires you to write?
Writing has helped me deal with many emotional issues in my life. I have not always had the option to express my feelings so I would hold things in. The more I did this, the more stressed I would become. So, I began to release my emotions through my writing and I am a more grounded person than I used to be. Another reason I write is because I love it. Writing is fun to me and I feel like if we’re not having fun in life then there is no point.

Tell us about your writing process.
I love outlining. When I first started writing, I tried to go at it alone but it would take me too long to finish projects or I’d struggle with writer’s block. I learned from other writers that outlining is a blessing and it has been. Outlining helps me write faster and more precise. I don’t use a program or a fancy technique. I focus on scenes so I write all my scenes for a book first then I type it. It’s made the process much, much easier. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think outlining takes the fun out of writing. In fact, I enjoy it more because I know where my story is going. Back when I didn’t outline, I’d be all anxious because I knew I’d end up getting stuck. I no longer have that problem.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My characters control the story from beginning to end. When I outline, I make sure to stay true to character development and the characters naturally come through. I don’t fight my characters just to write the story I want to write. I let them guide me and I think that’s what makes writing so fun.

What advice would you give other writers?
My biggest advice would be for anyone who wants to be a writer to stay determined and block out negativity. There will be many people who will tell you that you can’t do it, but you can’t listen to them. No one is born a great writer. It takes years to learn, but it’s worth it. I just self-published my first book but for years I took time to learn the writing process and to better my craft. That is a step no writer can afford not to take. You have to be open-minded, willing to learn, and have a thick skin.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I decided to self-publish because I felt it was best for me. I am also someone who enjoys learning new things so I learned how to do a lot on my own. No one path is best for every author. I am not against publishers at all. I think they have their place and that if that is an author’s goal, they should definitely pursue it. But, with how the industry is going, I feel like if an author is willing to learn, he or she can do much of what publishers do. You don’t have to have a lot of money if you’re willing to learn certain skills.

As far as promo, it’s hard but it is hard no matter how you publish. In fact, I would say it is now easier for an indie author than a trade author to promote their books because there are so many options for indie authors no matter what their budget is. Trade authors now have to promote a lot by themselves and many get neglected by their publishers. Also, you can be a hybrid and self-publish and do trade publishing. The possibilities are endless. Indie authors definitely have more freedom so if that’s a big goal than that is your best shot.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it’s so fickle that it’s hard to even imagine, lol. This industry changes from one year to the next, especially with the emergence of ebooks and self-publishing. My advice is that every writer have some kind of backup plan because your first plan might not work out due to how the industry changes so frequently.